Was this agression??

[IndigoJaguar]

It's too late now, but I'm asking for next time. We had a beautiful one year old americana rooster. Last week he started chasing off one of his seven hens, and wouldn't let her anywhere near the flock. I watched this for about a week, and hoped it would get better. Two mornings ago I went out and my hen's head was ripped open on top, a very deep wound, and nasty looking. Since the rooster had been the one chasing her off, I assumed it was him that did the damage. I removed her from the flock, and kept her inside a day or two. Tonight we killed the rooster, and I reintroduced her to the flock. They seemed to chase her some and didn't want her near them. Is this just establishing a new pecking order, or did they do the damage in the first place? Maybe I killed a rooster that didn't even do anything! Could the rooster have been rehabilitated? I wasn't sure I could trust him after I thought he did that. When would be the next time he didn't like a hen and ripped into her?
Any thoughts?

 

[ams3651]

watch them closely for a few days, they should reestablish her into the pecking order just fine. I had a hen I took out for several weeks due to injury and after she was able to go outside she wanted nothing to do with the other and seemed afraid of them, even though they had nothing to do with the injury. She ended up in my neighbors flock one day, not sure if she was grabbed or went on her own but she seemed happy with them so I left her. I have no advice on the rooster though I probably would have done the same thing.

 

[mississippifarmboy]

I would have found out for sure what happened before I killed the rooster. Could have been the rooster, the other hens or even something else.

But if I found out for sure it was the rooster doing it, we'd be having chicken & dumplings this weekend.
Roosters are rough on hens sometimes, but scalping is going too far on my farm.

 

[IndigoJaguar]

Thanks ya'll!
I wasn't up to eating my pet....so he is buried in the back yard. I'm about ready to give up on chickens, tho. Last spring a dog killed seven of our eight chicks. Then we got fourteen more chicks after that. Of those fourteen, we have killed the three roosters, two baby chicks died, and and two hens got eaten in by coyote. I feel depressed.

 

[elmo]

If the wound on the top of your hen's head isn't healed, the other chickens may peck it open again. Have you got any Blu kote or something similar?

 

[Peck Johnson]

Isolate until the wound is healed. In the bird world, a flock will often ostricize or even kill a weak member because weakness can be a liability to the flock and birds can be ruthless. We have had this situation before and the injured bird was pecked to death by the other hens. We have been successful after isolation and have had a couple of birds reintroduced with minimal problems. I don't think the rooster could have been rehabilitated.

 

[IndigoJaguar]

I put blue kote on her wound and kept her in the house several days. I have to go away tommorow for a day and a half, so she has to be returned to the pen. She seemed good this morning, altho still picked on by the other hens. I hope they establish a new pecking order soon!

 

[FireTigeris]

Quote:
When my rooster did this, (chased one off) it was because something was wrong, this one died even with supplemental food and care a week later (unknown casues, failure to thrive even with extra food and normal poops)- also the hens excluded this one when reintroduced (but stopped picking after three days)-

 

[jmtrestle]

It usually takes 3-4 days for chickens to establish pecking order.
If it is severe, I cage the "mean" one for a couple days to kinda throw the order off and the re-introduce the meanie.
There will always be "someone" on the last stick of order, usually there is a reason.

 

[IndigoJaguar]

I guess I will see what happens. She is my pet, but not my best layer, so I guess if she dies I'll get another one.